Roger McGuire doesn't have any family in town for the holidays, but he doesn't mind. On Dec. 25 for the past four years, the 68-year-old retiree has spent his afternoon at the Associated Veterans Club in downtown Loveland, which on Wednesday played host to another flood of hungry people looking for a meal and some company.

"When anybody asks what I'm going to do for Christmas, I tell them I'm going to spend it with 100 of my closest friends," McGuire said.

This year, that number was actually closer to 360. The gathering has grown bigger every Christmas since 2006, when an RH Line caller inspired Loveland's Roberta Christopher to organize the event.

"Somebody wrote in and asked why everybody does Thanksgiving, but nobody does a Christmas dinner. I went to my daughter and said, 'Next year, we have to do this,'" she said.

Christopher used her daughter's Berthoud restaurant the first year, and the Veterans Club building for the past six. Wednesday's turnout was an all-time high, requiring an overflow eating area shortly after doors opened.

"That feels really good," said volunteer server Dan Berndt, 38. "We had more in the first 45 minutes today than we had after two hours last year."

Giving was the theme of the day, as Berndt was joined by more than 30 volunteers. The event's 25 turkeys were all donated by a local church group, Albertson's provided 180 pounds of potatoes, and Perkins gave a dozen pies. The rest of the food, Christopher said, came from regular people just looking to pitch in.

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In recent years, the donation roster has expanded to include a clothing giveaway table and live music.

"People just call. 'What can I do? What can I bring?' It definitely warms my heart," she said.

Wednesday's crowd was a mix of homeless people, veterans, church members and anyone else who either couldn't or didn't want to cook for themselves.

"And really anybody that doesn't want to spend the holiday by themselves," Berndt said. "If there's a vet's wife and the guy is no longer around, she's welcome. You got kids but you don't have money to make a big meal? Come down here. Nobody gets frowned on. We welcome all that want to be around people today."

Mark Warner, formerly homeless and now a Loveland resident, appreciated the sentiment. He had planned to spend the holidays with his father in Westminster, but his truck broke down on Christmas morning.

"So I just stopped by here to have a nice meal," the 53-year-old said. "It's great. I live alone, so it isn't like I'm going to make a big meal. I'm pretty much a loner by myself. So I get a nice turkey dinner on Christmas Day. It's nice to be able to get away from the house and Christmas and be among people."

Jadean Jacobsen, also 53, said the meal was a welcome respite for her and her daughter, who are "one drop in housing assistance away" from being homeless.

"Financially I'm really struggling," she said. "I'm not trying not to use any help besides housing. I want to get out of the system and get going. And coming here, it's camaraderie for me. It's free lunch, and I like to hear other people's stories," she said.

"There's just a lot of hungry people out there," Veterans Club custodian Paul Seaman said. "A lot of people that need help. We're just doing what we can."

As she surveyed the scene just before noon on Wednesday, Christopher said she now feels not only compelled but obligated to keep the event going

every year.

"The music's playing and everybody's in a good mood," she said. "It reminds me more of the old days, when it wasn't so much buying and so much money on Christmas. Families could get together and just enjoy the day. These people need that friendship and the place to get a hot meal."